“There are several ways to burn a book. And the world is full of people running around with lit matches” (Wikiquote, “Ray Bradbury”). Author Ray Bradbury made this observation in 1979, and his thinking has only been confirmed over time. Bradbury warns of the possibility of this happening in his novel, Fahrenheit 451. The message of Fahrenheit 451 is more important than ever because today's book publishers, film critics, and plays have intentionally and unintentionally suppressed Bradbury's original intention for the novel. This not only happened to Fahrenheit 451, but many other books have been simplified to meet the standards of today's casual readers. When Fahrenheit 451 was released in 1953, Bradbury had created a new world that readers of the time considered profound and alarming. Readers felt this way because before Bradbury's novel, they had not read anything that showed what life would be like without books. “Writing supports objectivity, criticism and analysis: it broadens and depends on consciousness and thus supports the civic order of modern republics, as they were born at the end of the 19th century” (Bertonneau). Before World War II, American citizens were much less influenced by things like television and radio (McGiveron). Instead, they collected information in books and newspapers. Fahrenheit 451 was able to have such an influence because it made citizens aware of the real importance of books in the development of society. “Words provoke the imagination and promote independence from archive images” (Bertonneau). Over time, the general public moved away from their traditionalist views of the early 1900s and became more narrow-minded. “It is easy to understand why the book was warmly received in the middle of the paper...because of some awkward transitions, abrupt endings of scenes that do not carry over into the next, and some scenes that seem extraneous” (Murasaki). After so many years since Fahrenheit 451 was released, it's sad to see how individuals have tried to change it and how underappreciated Ray Bradbury's work has become. It's clear that Bradbury's idea of ​​a world without books is gradually becoming more true as readers, moviegoers, and viewers continue to want information delivered to them as quickly and easily as possible. One has to wonder if Bradbury's vision will ever be realized, as individuals place more value on instant gratification and less on taking the time to learn and fully understand the many lessons that books have the power to to teach. Works Cited Bradbury, Ray. “Fahrenheit 451.” New York: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks 2013.